Category Lifestyle

Yeah yeah, months of nothing. In my defense I wrote a really great blog post about a month ago and then wordpress ate it. That was pretty disappointing!

Anyway, to kick things back off, I’ve stolen this from Laura, just having a look at where I am right now and hopefully a little bit of where I’m hoping to be.

Making: Chia pudding with Lewis Road organic double cream. I would drink that stuff straight, no lie.Cooking: Not as much as I should be. This month is about being good and cooking more!Drinking: A lot of Pepsi MaxReading: The Church of Marvels – Leslie Parry, look out for a review soon!Wanting: For my life to stop feeling like it’s in limbo.Looking: Like five bucks. My skin is breaking out again and I’m not planning to leave the house today so I’m not brushing my hair.Playing: Banished! It’s a cool city building/survival game.Wishing: That I could eat all the McFlurries in the world and not get fat.Enjoying: An extra day off. Hooray long weekends!Waiting: for everything. I feel like I’m in a perpetual state of waiting.Liking: My $6 blanket from The Warehouse. Cozy, fuzzy and warm!Wondering: About things that will only hold me back.Loving: Wendy’s Taco Salads.Pondering: How to be more productive in winter.Considering: Giving up Facebook. It just makes me sad and angry.Watching: Arrested Development and Bojack HorsemanHoping: For something to break me out of my funk.Marveling: At how different my life was this time last year.Needing: A change.Wearing: Ponte pants all day err day.Following: Corrine from FrockAndRollNoticing: How cold my fingers feel.Knowing: I have the power to control my lifeThinking: That most of these prompts are essentially the same thing and feel a bit redundant.Admiring: People who can get up before 7:30 in the mornings.Sorting: Out my life.Buying: Only the essentials. No impulse shopping!Getting: Hungry. I think that Chia pudding is almost set!Bookmarking: Keto recipies.Disliking: Twitter. Just, no.Opening: OneNote, ready to brainstorm blog stuff.Giggling: At my boyfriend playing Witcher 3. Every now and then a character farts and you hear another character giggle.Feeling: Like I need to stop being lazy.Snacking: On nothing. Snacking is almost impossible with Invisalign.Coveting: A debt-free status.Helping: I just realised what an unhelpful person I am. Deep.Hearing: As above, my boyfriends game.

I am the queen of procrastination.

I know a lot of people say that, but I think few people can match my accomplishments in procrastinating procrastination.

Yeah, you read that right. I put off the act of putting off things I should be doing. Some people procrastinate cleaning the house or their homework by binge watching a TV show. I procrastinate that. Instead I just sit on Facebook and repeatedly refresh my newsfeed.

It’s a hellish cycle to be stuck in. I’m constantly bored, but for some reason, I put off the fun procrastination. So I’m left with 100% of the procrastination guilt, and none of the enjoyment.

I know how it started.

Back when I was in Uni, I procrastinated the traditional way. I watched so many seasons of TV shows, I made a fan site for a book series I loved (and roped Laura into helping me with it). I got so much done with my procrastinating time. Then I offered to make a website for the company my ex-boyfriend worked for (my Dad also worked for them but I need to word it carefully because people get confused and think I’m talking about them being the same person). It was going to pay well and we were planning on going to Europe so they money was going to help. At first, like every project I start, I was excited. I dived into it headfirst and make great progress. We had planned for the project to take six weeks.

But then the project started hitting walls. Things were getting harder. Because I was living with my ex-boyfriend, I had to make a show of looking like I was working on it as they were asking him about my progress too. So procrastination turned into always having the website open, but flicking in between that and facebook aimlessly all day and night. I didn’t watch any TV shows. I didn’t read any books. I literally spent all of my free time doing tiny bits of website work and refreshing facebook.

The website dragged out for two years.

The people that wanted it kept moving the goalposts and eventually I finished with Uni and got a fulltime job (unrelated to web design). The first few months were tough. I was trying to learn how to do my job and then come home mentally exhausted every night and have to try and do work on the website.

After about 6 months of this torture I finally sucked up the courage to tell them I couldn’t do it. So much had changed in the last 2 and a bit years since we had started the project. Web design was on a completely different level and I hadn’t kept up. Nor did I have any interest in it anymore. I had also ended the relationship with my ex-boyfriend and moved back home with my Mum. The company was very gracious about it and agreed it would be best to completely the project with someone else.

The relief was indescribable.

Imagine, the pressure of having a project that was already 2 years past it’s deadline and no end in sight lifted from your shoulders. It truly felt like a physical sensation. I was able to stand taller, breath freely. What would I do with all my new found free time? I had no obligations besides work. I could read any book I wanted, binge watch all the TV shows ever.

Alas, the pressure was gone, but the habits had formed. I would spend all night after work and all my free time on the weekend constantly refreshing facebook, the herald, 9gag and everytually imgur and reddit. I put off watching TV shows, because 20-40 minutes seemed like too much of a time commitment. I spent my time like this for over a year and a half. It’s only been in the last few months that I’ve been able to get myself to sit down and enjoy several episodes of a TV show. Or read books again (one of my favourite things in the world). Even now I still find myself stuck in that cycle of putting off something more interesting to do in favour of constantly refreshing facebook.

There’s no moral to this tale.

There’s no “23 ways to beat procrastination, number 10 will make your jaw drop!”. I have no advice. I don’t think there is any magic fix besides slowly re-training my habits and that will take some time.

Soooo yeah. I am going to train myself to procrastinate like a normal person again. This is what my life has become.

I’m still in the process of writing this list. It’s really hard to come up with 101 things to do in 1001 days. Obviously as I complete them, I’ll be blogging about them. However, seeing as it could be a year or two before that happens, I wanted to start talking about the goals, why I chose them and how I plan to tackle them.

So, in the order that I thought of them and as they are listed on my Day Zero Project page here are my first ten goals:

Successfully complete a 5×5 100kg squat
I’ve started weightlifting in the last year. I haven’t been the most dedicated and my personal best for a squat so far is 37.5kg. My goal is to squat 100kgs – and as a girl that is achievable with a lot of hard work. I’m pretty lucky because my boyfriend has all the gear, so I don’t need to pay for a gym membership to complete this goal. 5×5 means reapeating 5 suqats with a rest period to do 25 total. I’ve chosen this because weightlifting gives you amazing results (can anyone say DAT ASS), helps you with better posture (when you use correct form) and the euphoric feeling when you finish is addictive!

Spend 2 months out of Auckland (can be non-consecutive)
I haven’t been properly travelling in a long time. In fact gong to New Plymouth at Christmas time to see my boyfriends family was the first time I had been out of Auckland in 6 months. I’m hoping to do an overseas trip sometime in the next 2.75 years so can take a big chunk out of this time frame. This one will require a lot of planning and saving – even if it’s for lots of smaller weekend trips around New Zealand. Travel is expensive! The reason why I’ve chosen this is obvious – who doesn’t love to travel?!

Read 101 books in 1001 days
An ambitious goal. There was a time where I could’ve easily done this in a year. Now I rarely make time for reading, despite having a kindle that I can take anywhere with me. I adore reading and I’m hoping this goal will force my to make more time for reading – I have to average a book every 10 days. I’m keeping a track of what I’m reading using this Google Drive Spreadsheet. Have a look and feel free to make recommendations. I’ve already finished three books, six days ahead of schedule!

Reach my goal weight range (59kg – 63kg)
Last year I started a Ketogenic diet (Low Carb, High Fat). I had so much success with it and felt better than I had in many years. I lost 15kg in the space of about 8 moonths and stalled at that weight up until Christmas. I’ve gained about 3-4kg back of festive weight but I’m determined to get back into it. Keep Calm and Keto On! I’m chosing this goal for my health and happiness. Carbs make me feel physically bad and mentally bad.

Get a bra properly fitted
I’m 26 and a half years of age and I’ve never had a bra properly fitted in my life. This goal will have to wait until I’ve settled in my goal weight range. I have rather small boobs and unfortunately they shrink even more when losing weight. I’m sure they will grow one day. RIGHT? RIGHHHHTTT??!?!?

Move out of home
Another big goal. I currently live with my Mum, Sister and Grandparents. I have lived away from home for several years but after a break up of a long term relationship over two years ago, I decided to move in with family temporarily. It’s been a lot longer than intended and it’s embarrassing to be almost 27 and living at home. When I first moved in here I was sleeping in a bunk bed for almost a year. That was horrible. My goal is actually to move out of home before my 27th birthday so sometime in the next four and a half months!

Sell 101 things on Trademe
This compliments the above goal quite well. I have a lot of stuff. I don’t really know where it all comes from but I have it. I don’t need over 50% of it, so the solution is to sell/discard/donate. I talked about this in a previous post and my goal was to reduce my possessions by 50% by my 27th birthday. This is the new revised goal. I’ll be tracking the progress of this on the spreadsheet too. It’ll be nice to get rid of as much as I can before I move out – less to pack!

Complete a 1000 piece puzzle
Just because!

Get a 30 day streak in Duolingo
I started learning German last year on Duolingo and was doing pretty well. Then I slacked off. They say it takes a month to form a habit, hence the aim for a 30 day streak.

Create a blogging schedule and stick to it for a month
This one is also hoping to force some good habits to be formed. I’ve had my blog for five months now, and I’ve made a total of six (seven after this) posts so far. Ridiculous.

I’ve always been someone who made resolutions and never stuck to them. Last year, however, something changed. I set some goals and for the first time in my adult life, I worked damn hard and got some brilliant results.

So this year I have decided to set myself the biggest challenge yet. Over the next 1001 days (just shy of 3 years) I am going to complete 101 challenges that I have set for myself. Some are big. Really big. Others, not so much.

It will be an incredible experience. I will learn a lot, hopefully see a lot and become a much better person from it.

My challenge officially starts today. I should be completing one challenge every ten days to stay on track. Given the nature of my goals, I won’t realistically be ticking them off every ten days so I’m going to have to schedule these tasks in and make sure to fit them into my every day life.

My list isn’t complete right now. Coming up with 101 things I want to achieve in the next 2 and a bit years is no easy feat. Here’s my list as it currently stands. I’d love to know what you’d include in your list (mostly so that I can poach all the great ones for myself). Let me know what you think of my ideas too!

As I mentioned yesterday, I got a kick ass goodie bag at the #BrunchClub on Sunday. I thought I’d give a a run down on the stuff that was in it and my first impression.

Eco Store Haul
Shampoo, Conditioner, Body Lotion, Lip Balm and Laundary Powder
I’m pretty happy with these! I’ve been having issues with various shampoos and conditioners for awhile and these ones are Paraben and Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulphate free. I’ve been searching for a shampoo like this for awhile so hopefully it’s as good as they promise. The lip balm is awesome too, by the way.

Artmeis Stress Relief Tea
I’m a bit of a tea snob. I have a large tin of the T2 Just Peppermint tea – it’s pretty much exclusively what I drink. I don’t have a tea strainer contraption thing at present, so it may be awhile before I make this. I’m awfully curious to try it, so I might just have to buy one.

Mrs Rogers Moroccan Seasoning (not pictured)I looooooove Moroccan seasoning. Back when I still ate carbs, my go-to lunch was couscous covered in moroccan seasining with chicken. I’m going to have a go at seasoning some chicken breast with this stuff in future. Watch out for it as a shitty food porn feature.

Pop Roc Parties
I got some string and some black sticky things. I seriously have no idea what these are for. If anyone could enlighten me, that’d be great. (Bottom right in photo

True Holistic Beauty Rejuvenating Hand Cream
This stuff looks awesome, and is really nicely presented. My problem is I have like 50 million hand creams floating around and it’s going to take me years to get through them all. Don’t tell her, but this is probably going to end up as Laura’s Christmas present.

The Fairy Light Shop Battery Fairy Lights
These actually look cool. I’m thinking of the most nefarious way of using them. Will update in the future.

Kokako Cold Pressed Coffee (not pictured)
I hate coffee. HATE it. I don’t know why it exists. Why would anyone drink it when there are delicious sugar-free V’s in this world? Anyway, I gave it to my boyfriend who said it was a bit average. He’s not really a coffee fan though. So, if you actually like coffee, don’t take this as a strike against it.

Flossie Concierge Gift Voucher ($10)
I’ve used Flossie before to buy vouchers for different beauty services. Flossie Concierge is actually an app for your smartphone. You tell it the service you want, pick some salons, dates, times etc and they match you with someone who has an availability at that time. I like the idea, but sadly, while they have the Britomart Off Wax loaded into it, they don’t have Newmarket. I work just around the corner from there and it’s my usual spot to get my waxing done. I’m not going all the way into the city. I’ll keep checking – apparently they’re always adding new places.

Whew. A whole blog post and not one mention of poop. I’m losing my touch. Normal programming will return soon.

Do you ever have those moments where you suddenly realise “Wow, I’m a insert-thing-here”? I’ve had a few interesting ones over the last few years. The day I realised “Hey, I’m a draughtsman!” – I have a job with a job title that means something specific. All my previous jobs had been generic retail and customer service jobs with no real description. Then there was day (after being single for about a year and a half) that I was like “Hey, I’m someone’s girlfriend! Cool!”

Well, on Sunday I had another one of those moments. I realised I was a blogger. Sure, I’m only two posts in, I’m still new to this. But the fact is, it’s something I’ve decided to commit to. Every word I type cements the fact that I am now a blogger (among all the other things I am).

So what brought upon this amazing revelation? Well, I attended the October #BrunchClub (I’m not gonna lie, I feel dirty using that hashtag), formerly known as #BloggersBrunchClub.

It was sitting there, having people ask me “So, what’s your blog about?” (I responded with a blank face, then “Uh.. I wrote something about pooping at work?” for the record) that made me realise, I’m one of them. I’m a blogger!

The brunch itself was a really great experience (thanks Laura and Lizzy for organising)! I met some wonderful new people.. and even caught up with people I went to uni with (Ben)!

It was held at the Tuihana Cafe on Dominion Road in Mt Eden. It was a cool little space. The menu had a fairly good range and the drinks were excellent. I would say the hot chocolate I had was easily in my Top 3 best ever Hot Chocolate list.

This brunch was a little bit different than usual. Not only did we get some awesome goodie bags (which I’ll tell you all about in my next post), but we also got to hear from Nate, the owner of Tuihana cafe.

It wasn’t quite the talk we were expecting to get. I guess there was a miscommunication somewhere. It was still interesting and informative though, and I learnt heaps about how to run a cafe. Which is totally relevant to my life (it’s not at all). Despite that, I came away from it feeling motivated. It was great to see someone achieving something and being so passionate about it and looking to improve all the time. That’s probably what has inspired me to post for the first time in a month. Pretty sure it won;t be another month before the next one. 😉

Today, I will be touching on a very important topic. Etiquette when using toilets in the workplace.

For anyone who has ever been gainfully employed (selling your labour to an employer in exchange for currency) you will have probably needed to use the toilet while on the clock at least once.

But there are some simple rules one must abide by that no one ever discusses, so now I am writing the unwritten rules for using the loo while at work.

1. Not giggling at others farts unless they laugh first

Sometimes when you’re settling in for a good wee, the muscles just relax and out slips a little parp (or a big parp – what did you have for lunch guuurrl?!). I was in a bathroom once with a lady who let out a quick sharp series of farts, followed by a giggle and a “Sorry!” – more and more farts proceeded along with more giggles. We both sat in our cubicles uncontrollable giggling (while she was uncontrollably farting). This is totally fine and completely hillarious. Farts are funny. What isn’t funny is laughing at someones farts when they’re not laughing. Some farts are better left unacknowledged. Those farts are not brought into this world to entertain, but merely to relieve the pain of gas from that spicy goat curry you had earlier.

OH HEY

That's my face. I'm Katie, twenty-something. I live in Auckland, New Zealand and kind of suck at being a girl - not to mention being an adult. Join me on my adventure of inevitable screw ups as I try to figure out how everyone else does it.